A free Christmas Tree Skirt pattern

This year's Christmas Quilt Show is a celebration for me in more than one way! I have now officially been positing in blogland for one year.

My very first blog post was this Christmas skirt for last year's Christmas Quilt Show, hosted by SewCalGal. At that time, this skirt was just a flimsy. You may recognize it from last year. Well this year, in honor of my blogaversary, I have the pattern to offer to you - available on Craftsy.

Now it is sandwiched, quilted and the binding is on. Hopefully, we will have a Christmas tree this year to put it under! (We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel.)

As you can see, I simply did some outline quilting and some stitching in the ditch (click here for a useful tip.)

It seemed a little strange to bind a Christmas Tree Skirt in black, but I think it really made the rest of the fabric shine!

Over the last year, I have gained 115 new friends (followers) and enjoyed reading all of your comments. My humble little blog has had 50,000 hits (I was so excited just to hit 10! - LOL)

I have created 12 free mug rug patterns - traditionally pieced, appliqued, machine embroidery and paper piecing.

I am looking forward to a new year of designing and sharing patterns with you.

Thank you all for a wonderful first year! I look forward to the year to come.

Click here to get it on Craftsy for $3.....

This pattern was offered for free in 2011 and stayed that way for quite some time. I know that charging for it now will make some people angry. I have sent it out over 200 times and there have been countless other comments that couldn't be responded to, because they were posted by no-reply bloggers. I hope that you will understand.

In honor of my 1 year anniversary, I am offering this pattern to my followers for free. Please comment and let me know that you would like to receive that pattern. Also, if you are a no-reply blogger, or Google thinks you are a no-reply blogger, please send me an e-mail or leave your e-mail in the comment. I will e-mail the pattern out once a week, likely on Saturday or Sunday. I will not use your e-mail address for any other purpose.

Available on Craftsy for $3 - click here to go there

Cookies Across America

Join Taste of Home on December 10 to "bake a difference."

Cookie lovers unite! Whether it's baking and sharing cookies with the needy or donating cookie ingredients to a food bank, you can make a difference in your community this Christmas.

As you may know, in addition to my passion for quilting, I have a passion for food. What you may not know, is that I also have a passion for those who are homeless - especially families. During this time a year, all of these passions seem to come together in many ways. One such way is through the Cookies Across America campaign. As a Taste of Home Field Editor, I have been asked to help promote this campaign. During December, I will be baking and taking cookies to two of our local homeless shelters.

You too, can paticipate in this campaign to reach out to others in need.There are more ways to participate than just making a batch of cookie. You could host a cookie exchange or perhaps organize a food drive (for cookie ingredients.)For more information you can go to the Taste of Home website:More about Cookies Across America


Won't you take a moment to deliver some special treats to someone during the month of December? Many of us have way more than we need, and sharing some cookies can be a great way to brighten someones day!

So how about a recipe?

Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

 Photo by: NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe48 Servings

• Prep: 15 min Cook: 9 min Cooling: 15 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestlé® Toll House® Dark Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.
  
  If omitting nuts, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
  
  PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
  
  FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 tsp. water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

Originally published as Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies in NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Annual 2011

A new free block of the month quilt pattern

I just found this new block of the month pattern, which looks like it is going to be gorgeous!

For some reason blogger is giving me a hard time about attaching the link to the photo, so Click here to go to the pattern link............
I will be sure to download each of these as they come in......probably won't get started on it yet, as I am in the middle of my Florabunda quilt.  Just wanted to let you know about it though, so you can download as well!

2012 - Free Motion Quilting Challenge

I am excited to be joining SewCalGal's free motion quilting challenge in 2012.

SewCalGal will post more insights in December about this challenge and what you can do to get ready.  Preparation will be pretty simple, where you can make some sample quilt sandwiches (~18-24"x18-24"), as well as an optional sample quilt sandwich, and maybe pick up a few supplies.  Throughout this challenge you can always find the most current summary of information on the page for this event labeled "Free Motion Quilt Challenge".  Thus, you may want to check this page periodically.

Every month, starting January lst, a new FMQ tutorial & challenge will be posted by one of our 12 FMQ experts.  You can complete these exercises anytime, but if you complete them in the respective month you can gener to win that months giveaways.  If you complete all 12 months of tutorial exercises, anytime in 2012, you can enter to win one of the grand prizes.

What I accomplished while I was gone

I had a wonderful time at my retreat with my quilting buddies. I didn't get started on the Bethlehem Star - I just couldn't decide on the fabrics I wanted to use!I did however make progress on my Florabunda squares. I have a few more hairy squares to show you.

First - the hairy one - I will tuck in the threads during my Wednesday bee days. This is the closest to hand work I get!

I am quite pleased with how these blues worked together!

A friend of mine asked me what flower this was? - how would I know? It is just me putting colors I like together! She is a quilter and ought to know better. ;-)

I don't remember what kind of flowers I have seen that were "green" but I do remember seeing them and liking them a lot.

This one just got fused down - no sewing yet, except for the bias stem.

There are sixty of those little purple petals!












I hope you have had a great week!

My newest project and a Free Bethlehem Star Quilt Pattern

So I am off with my bestest quilting buddies (some of them anyway - where are you?!) to a quilting retreat. Four whole days of laughter and quilting and eating (of course.) Since all of my unfinished quillty projects are at the quilting phase, I need to start something new. Machine quilting while laughing and carrying on is not a good idea. ;-) Soooo, for my newest project, I decided to make this Bethlehem Star.

My mom has been begging for a quilt to hang in her living room, so this one will probably be her Christmas present. (For once, I hope she isn't reading this!) Would you like a link to this free quilt pattern? Click on my free patterns page at the top of this page to get it. Now I am off to decide on my colors and pack my bags!